Latch



Patented July 3 1, 1945 LATCH Martin strom, Rockford, Ill., assigner to National Lock Company, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application September 18, 1943, Serial No. 502,867

2 Claims. (Cl. 292-166) This invention pertains to latches of a character suitable for use on cabinets and the like, although its use is not so restricted, as it may be y made in various sizes, thereby rendering it adaptable for a variety of uses. That form of the invention here shown, as illustrated by the principles thereof, is adapted for use on light doors such as kitchen cabinets, for instance, and is illustrated as being mounted on such a door.

Latches for this and similar purposes are customarily, for reasons of economy, made of sheet metal of a relatively light weight, with the result that they become rather readily bent and distorted in use. Furthermore, such latches do not provide a good handle which can be firmly grasped for opening the door. and the operating mechanism does not usually work as easily as desired, particularly if the structure has become bent or distorted in use.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide -a latch of the general character Iindicated which will be strong and durable even though constructed of relatively light material; which will aiord a substantial handle to be rmly grasped for opening the door and the operating mechanism of which will enable the latch to be easily manipulated. Furthermore, the construction is such that the operating mechanism or, in fact, any portion of the latch, will not become readily bent or distorted by use.

A further purpose is to provide a latch which will be extremely simple in construction, and will comprise a minimum number of parts which can be economically produced and quickly assembled, thereby contributing toward economy in produc` tion.

A simple and preferred embodiment of the inventlon is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, oi' which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the door upon which a latch, constructed in accordance with my invention, is mounted;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view taken on the line I-J of F18- 3.

On the drawing, reference character 5 indicates the door frame of a cabinet or other article, upon which the door 8 is hinged.v A handle 1 of substantial size to enable it to be ilrmly grasped for door opening purposes is mounted upon the outer face of the door, preferably by means of screw threaded into tapped openings provided in the handle.

The latch which is mounted upon the inner face of the door comprises a housing Il of channel shape terminating in oppositely extending flanges I2 and I3, by which the housing is attached to the door. The bolt 9 passes through the' flange I3 while a wood screw I4 extends through flange I2 into the door, as shown in Fig. 3. One end of the channel shaped housing is closed by the wall I5, while the opposite end is substantially open to permit thenose of the bolt to project therefrom.

The bolt designated generally by I6 is also formed of sheet metal shaped to provide the inclined wall I1 projectingk beyond the end of the housing Il, and the side walls I8 extending parallel with and disposed between the side walls of the housing. The opposite ends of the side walls are reduced in height and are adapted to project loosely through the slots at each side of the housing back wall I5, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. These walls are' each provided with an elongated slot 23 through which a pin or rod 24 anchored in the side Walls of the housing extends. The pin and slots guide the rear end of the bolt and limit its reciprocatory movements. The bolt is thus mounted for straight line reciprocatory movement in the housing from the projected locking position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2 to the retracted released position illustrated in dotted lines in said figure.

Upon the pin 24 there is rotatably mounted an operating member of substantially U shape, comprising the side walls 25 connected by the cross wall 26 providing a shoulder 21 through which movement is imparted to the member, as will be later described. A second pin 28 flxedly mounted at its ends in the side walls I8 of the bolt projects through a slot 29 formed in each of lthe side walls 25 of the operating member. It will be obvious that when the operating member is swung in a clockwise direction against its fulcrum pintle 2l from the full to the distorted line position of Fig. 2, the latch bolt, by reason of the engagement of the pin 2B in the slots 28, will be retracted from the full to the distorted line position of that ngure. A coil spring Il surrounding the pintle 24 with one end engaging the rear wall I5 of the housing and the other end engaging an abutment of the operating member, normally restores the parts to the normal bolt projecting position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2.

For the purpose of actuating the operating member. a plunger l2 is extended through an bolts t and 9 extending through the door and 55 opening 33 in the door into engagement with the bolt 2, the opposite end oi the plunger projecting beyond the handle in a ,position to be engaged by and forced inwardly by the thumb oi the user. An annular shoulderl 3d on the plunger prevents withdrawal of the plunger through the handle.

The keeper 35 with. which the bolt cooperates to latch the door in the closed position shown in Fig. 2 consists merely of a piece of angular iron 38 secured to the inner face of the door jamb by screws 3l.

To unlatch the door so that it may be opened, the operator simply grasps the handle 1, depresses the plunger 32 with his thumb, thereby withdrawing the bolt from engagement with the keeper 35 and freeing the door. When pressure upon the plunger is released, the parts are restored to normal position by the spring 3l. Upon closing movement of the door the camming action of the inclined end I1 of the bolt against the edge of the keeper 35 Iforces the bolt into retracted position so that it will pass the keeper, whereupon it is projected into latching position by the spring 3l.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that the latch is not only strong and durable, but it is simple in construction, consists in a minimum number of parts, and can be economically produced and assembled.

The structural detalls shown and described may obviously be varied within considerable limits without, exceeding the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A latch comprising a housing open at one end and provided at the other end with guide `slots, a bolt slidable within said housing and provided with a head presenting an inclined surface and a latching surface projecting beyond the open end of said housing, the bolt having spaced apart unconnected side walls projecting from said asstrafic head rearwardly through said guide slotss each oi? said side walls being provided with an elongated slot, a pin anchored in and extending transversely of said housing through said elongated slots, an operating member pivotally mounted on said pin, a coil spring mounted on the pin so as to engage said housing and said operating member to thereby bias said member in one direction, a pin and slot connection between said operating member and said bolt whereby a straight line movement is imparted to the bolt upon rotative movement of the operating member, and means projecting into said housing between the side Walls of said bolt wht reb'y said operating member may be actuated to o ierate said bolt.

2. A latch comprisiig a housing open at one end adapted to be mounted upon the inner face of the door and consisting oi side walls, an inner wall and one end wall provided with a pair of guide slots, a latch handle adapted to be mounted upon the outer face of the door, means extending through said door for securing the housing and handle in position, a slidable bolt within the housing having a nose at one end and a pair of side walls projecting in spaced relation through said guide slots, each of said side walls being provided with an elongated slot, an oscillatable operating member pivotally mounted within the housing, a pintle mounted in and extending between the housing side walls through said elongated slots and through said operating member, a pin and slot connection between said bolt and said member, a spring interposed between the housing and said member whereby the bolt is biased into projected position, and a, plunger projecting through said handle and door into the housing between the side walls of said bolt in position to actuate said operating member against the force of said spring to retract said bolt.

MARTIN OSTROM. 

